


Storms

by Kalloway



Series: Royal Blood [5]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Invisible Kingdom | Revelation Route, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-26 00:05:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16208477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalloway/pseuds/Kalloway
Summary: for 31 Days, July 6, 'storm upon storm'.





	Storms

**Author's Note:**

> for 31 Days, July 6, 'storm upon storm'.

Sakura was surprised to see them at first, but after discreetly counting on her fingers how long it had been since she'd come to Windmire, she realized a visit was due. 

"Takumi!" 

He hugged her so tightly that she wasn't sure he'd ever let go. 

"You're being treated well?" Takumi questioned softly. Sakura nodded against his shoulder. Things hadn't been perfect, but she certainly didn't need to be rescued. Nohr was just very different from Hoshido. 

"We brought you all sorts of things," Oboro added from Takumi's side. "Including clothing, but you're looking good as-is."

"Ah- Yes!" Sakura managed. Finally, Takumi loosened his grip on her and she was able to show Oboro her dress. The fabric was the darker colors of Nohr, but the design itself was closer to what she'd worn in Hoshido. She'd been lucky that one of the castle's tailors had been thrilled for a chance to create a hybrid style for her. It did a lot for her comfort, if nothing else. Sakura didn't think she'd ever be able to dress like Camilla or some of the other nobles she'd met. 

"You'll have to introduce me and we'll have to just bring raw material next time," Oboro said firmly as she walked around Sakura and tugged at the dress in a few different places. "This is downright brilliant."

"You look nice," Takumi said after another moment. Sakura did her best to pretend she hadn't seen Hinata elbow him. 

"Takumi!"

"Yay! It's Takumi and everyone!"

Camilla and Elise both had Takumi into a tight hug a moment later, though Leo kept a polite distance until Camilla literally pulled him in. Sakura had definitely noticed that she was usually never alone for long around the castle. Had Xander's siblings been lurking and waiting? 

There was a crack of thunder and Sakura hoped that nobody noticed her startle. 

"What was that?" Takumi questioned. 

"Just a storm." Leo shrugged and tried to escape Camilla's grasp. Though it seemed almost like Takumi had a grip on him, too. "They last for awhile, so I hope you weren't on a tight schedule to return home."

"Nah, we're here for as long as we want," Hinata said, echoing Leo's shrug. "How long can a storm last?"

~*~

Storm upon storm seemed to pile up over the city, though it seemed that this was a frequent enough occurrence that all the excess water was easily contained and diverted. Sakura didn't know quite how it all worked, even after Leo tried to explain it. Subaki seemed to have grasped most of the concepts, though, and found it fascinating. 

Mostly, it just rained or at least looked much gloomier than usual with low rumbling thunder and muted lightning that never seemed to leave the clouds. After the first night, when a distinctly memorable clap of thunder had shaken the very glass in the windows and made knickknacks rattle, Sakura had gotten kind of used to it. Xander seemed to hold her closer, though, and more than once she'd just slept half-sprawled on top of him, his arms wrapped loosely around her. 

She spent time with her family and all of their retainers. She tagged along with Elise, while dragging a horrified Takumi, to make sure Elise's mother was safe and dry enough. Quite a few of the catacombs' residents had new offerings, and many had a new glittering sheen that Elise explained was to help keep them from getting too damp. 

But finally the sky cleared and while still gloomy in its own way, Sakura understood that the storms were over, at least for a bit. 

"You'll come back?" Sakura asked as she sat on Takumi's bed, kicking her legs against the side and watching him pack. She knew he hadn't like the high, stuffed bed at first, but like quite a few things he'd initially seemed unwilling to enjoy, he'd gotten used to it. Leo, Sakura expected, had helped acclimate Takumi to Nohr in the same way Xander had helped her so very, very much. 

"Of course. Oboro already has notes on what materials to bring, not that she and your tailor haven't already conspired on a decade's worth of outfits," Takumi replied. "And I'm sure we'll find some of your other things. Hinoka and Ryoma will want to visit as well..." 

Sakura smiled. "I know. I miss them. Maybe I can go for a visit as well, once Xander has everything taken care of that he needs to. I help with what I can, but it's not..."

Takumi chuckled. "Give yourself more credit. I saw you ordering around all those servants at that big dinner the other night. And you're talking to nobles, helping plan festivals, and... you aren't terrified of visiting Elise's mother."

"But..."

"We'll be waiting for you two to visit when you're ready. That's all."

That next evening, after Takumi and his retainers had departed for Hoshido, Sakura managed to catch Xander alone in his study.

"Um, Xander?" It didn't seem entirely fair to be interrupting him at work, but she did want to ask. 

"What is it, my dearest?" he replied as he beckoned her over. "I was just looking over the proposal you worked on, for the upcoming festival. It's really quite impressive - not too audacious but still interesting and appropriate for the general population."

"Oh..." Sakura slipped over to him and sure enough, those were her plans. She hadn't made them entirely alone, though. She'd quizzed Xander's siblings, their retainers, the castle staff, other nobles, and even some of Elise's street friends about what they liked to do, what made Nohr special, and... she'd sort of rolled it all up. "Um... I think that actually answered my question. I just wanted to know if I was being useful enough."

Xander looked at her for a long moment as if unsure whether to sigh or smile. 

"You are exactly what Nohr-- what I need," he finally said. "That's something I apparently need to say more often. Please, forgive my shortcomings as a husband--"

"I should have said something sooner!"

They looked at each other for a few seconds and then they both smiled. 

"Come here," Xander said as he pulled her up onto his lap, straddling his legs on his desk chair. 

"Xander..." The door was not locked, though it was unlikely they'd be disturbed. 

She forgot about that, though, when he kissed her. She forgot about everything other than how she'd had an extra little pocket sewn into her dresses so she could keep small blades with her always, just in case. 

"Xander, do you want...?" 

Sakura didn't think she'd ever tire of offering her blood to him or how it made him react. She managed to get her plans to safety just in time though she was quite sure she'd never think of Xander's desk in the same way. 

And afterward, after Xander had quite literally carried her to bed, Sakura realized that a storm she hadn't even quite realized was brewing-- had actually already passed.


End file.
